At the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center, we aim to make it easy to request an appointment, refer a patient or get transferred for treatment. In-person and telemedicine appointment options are available for initial consultations and follow-up care. For medical emergencies, our team aims to reach out to patients within 48 hours.

If  your symptoms are severe and urgent, please call 911 to get immediate care. 

Medical Emergencies

An emergency is any medical problem that affects your quality of life or daily function. If your doctor informs you that your situation is urgent let us know and you will be seen by a brain tumor or oncology expert as soon as possible. If  your symptoms are severe and urgent, please call 911 to get immediate care. 

Our team reviews and evaluates emergencies within 48 hours.

• Please call 410-955-6406 for adult patients or 410-955-7337 for pediatric patients and explain your situation to the access specialist who will pass this on for immediate review. If you have the MRI report, read the conclusion to the access specialist or fax it to 410-367-3211. We will call you to arrange the appointment. 
• If you are experiencing complications of cancer treatment, you can contact oncology urgent care at 410-955-8893 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 410-955-4331 after 5 p.m. on weekdays, during weekends and holidays.

If you are currently admitted to a hospital or in an emergency room and would like to arrange a transfer to Johns Hopkins, ask your physician to contact the Hopkins Access Line at 410-955-9444 to speak to a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon or oncologist.

Regular Consultations

Please have the following information ready before you call, so that we can reserve the appropriate amount of time for your visit and consult colleagues that may be of assistance in your care:

• Diagnosis
• Most recent MRI report
• Contact information including telephone and email
• Front and back of your insurance card

Physician Referrals

• Neurosurgery referrals: Please fax the patient’s recent MRI reports and a referral if their insurance requires it, to 410-367-3211. You may also call our referral line at 410-955-6406 to follow up.
• Oncology referrals: Please call our referral line at 410-955-8964.

Preparing For Your Appointment

We encourage you to write down the questions you want to ask our doctors. Consider bringing a family member or friend to your appointment. This companion can help you travel to the hospital, listen and ask questions during the consultation, and offer support in making decisions about brain tumor care.

Please bring to your appointment:

• The appointment information and materials sent in the orientation packet
• Health insurance information including insurance card(s), special forms, referrals or important phone numbers
• Any additional medical records not already sent in advance of the visit
• A list of your physicians, with their names, addresses and telephone numbers
• A list of any medications you are currently taking along with the prescribed dosages
• A pen and notebook and/or folder for keeping a list of questions to ask the doctor, taking notes and storing new paperwork or educational materials from the visit

Patients from out-of-town should also bring contact information for where they are staying in Baltimore.

For Neurosurgery Consultations

When you arrive, please provide your new patient questionnaire if one was sent to you in advance. If you did not receive one in the mail, you can download the questionnaire here. If you do not bring the completed questionnaire to your appointment, you will be asked to complete it upon arrival. Please also bring all recent MRI scans relevant to the brain tumor (please bring the actual images rather than CDs if possible).

For Oncology Consultations at the Kimmel Cancer Center

Please review information from Kimmel Cancer Center Patient and Family Services on preparing for your appointment.